Viking Arms Defence supports UK military communities through e50K partnership
May 5, 2026
Viking Arms Defence is proud to support UK military communities through its work with e50K CIC, helping strengthen opportunities, wellbeing and resilience for Armed Forces families, veterans, spouses and the communities around them.
As part of this commitment, Viking Arms Defence supported e50K’s attendance at DPRTE 2026, the UK’s leading defence procurement and supply chain event.
The support helped remove financial barriers to participation, enabling e50K to attend with a strong team presence, build new relationships across the defence ecosystem and champion the importance of social value in defence readiness.
Supporting e50K CIC and the Armed Forces community
e50K CIC works with Armed Forces families, veterans and local communities to improve resilience, wellbeing and long-term opportunity.
Its work is built around five key pillars:
Engagement
Employment
Education
Enterprise
Environment
Through these pillars, e50K combines community development, practical support and enterprise activity to create measurable social value. As a Community Interest Company, all income is reinvested directly into expanding impact and reaching those most often overlooked within the Defence Community.
This includes projects such as Bramble Woods Community Garden, which provides inclusive, nature-based activities for Armed Forces families, veterans and local civilians. The project helps people build confidence, learn practical skills, reduce social isolation and improve wellbeing.
Why DPRTE matters for defence social value
DPRTE is a key event in the UK defence procurement calendar. Formally supported by the Ministry of Defence, it brings together MOD teams, prime contractors, SMEs and international partners to explore defence acquisition, commercial transformation, emerging technology, infrastructure and supply chain development.
For organisations such as e50K, attendance at DPRTE provides access to decision-makers, procurement conversations, potential partners and wider defence industry networks.
Viking Arms Defence’s support covered travel, accommodation, food and onsite costs for four e50K team members, enabling the organisation to take part fully in the event.
What Viking Arms Defence’s support achieved
By underwriting the cost of participation, Viking Arms Defence helped e50K focus on growth, visibility, learning and partnership building.
The support enabled e50K to:
Attend 12 hours of speeches, briefings and panels by defence and industry leaders.
Deliver a 30-minute panel on social value and war readiness.
Make 41 new contacts across the defence ecosystem.
Hold eight partnership meetings with existing and prospective partners.
Create professional development opportunities for team members, including first-time event attendance for a Site Manager.
This created space for strategic conversations, fundraising opportunities, relationship management and market research that would not have been possible with a smaller team presence.
Social value and defence readiness
Social value in defence is increasingly linked to resilience, readiness and the strength of the communities that support the Armed Forces.
At DPRTE 2026, e50K contributed to the discussion on how social value can support war readiness and local resilience. This reflects a wider shift in the defence sector: social value is not simply a procurement requirement, but a way to strengthen the people, places and networks that form part of the UK’s national resilience.
By supporting e50K, Viking Arms Defence helped amplify that message within the UK defence procurement community.
A practical commitment to UK military communities
Viking Arms Defence works across the police, military and security sectors, supplying specialist equipment and supporting operational users. But its commitment to the defence community goes beyond equipment supply.
Supporting e50K at DPRTE 2026 demonstrates how defence suppliers can contribute to the wellbeing, resilience and opportunities of Armed Forces families, veterans and military communities.
This is practical social value in action: targeted support, measurable outcomes and long-term benefit for the people and communities connected to UK Defence.
Viking Arms Defence is proud to support e50K and the vital work it delivers across the Armed Forces community.
